Imagine a fictional employer buying software for 8,000 staff and reporting that each user saves 20 minutes a day. Multiplying those minutes by salaries produces an impressive estimate, but not a cash saving. Payroll has not fallen, customers have not necessarily received better service, and unfinished tasks may simply have moved elsewhere. Time is an input to economic value, not proof that value has appeared.

The proper test is what happens next. In an illustrative evaluation, completed cases rise by 3% while review costs rise by 5%; neither number alone settles whether the purchase was worthwhile. Employers should track quality, throughput and total operating expense against a credible baseline. If saved minutes create breathing room rather than extra output, that may still be valuable. It should be described honestly, not booked as imaginary revenue.